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Wind Power -History and Benefits

Wind power has benefited mankind for a long time. Over the last 6000 years, man has used wind power to grind grain, pump water, and make electricity. Currently, wind power is considered the fastest growing source of electricity in the world. The United States can presently generate more than 10,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity from the wind, which is enough to power 2.5 million average American homes. In the future, wind power could provide enough electricity to meet the needs of more than 10 million homes in the US by 2010. Wind power is used in large scale wind farms for national electrical grids, as well as in small individual turbines for providing electricity to rural residences.

Examples of early wind power machines were those used in Persia around 200 BC, and were introduced into the Roman Empire by 250 AD. However, the first practical windmills were built in Afghanistan, in the 7th century. These were vertical axle windmills, made of six to twelve sails covered in reed matting or cloth material. These early windmills were used to grind corn and to draw up water. By the 14th century, Dutch windmills were in use to drain areas of the Rhine River delta. By 1900, there were about 2500 windmills in Denmark, used for running pumps and grain mills.

The first windmill for producing electricity was built in Scotland in 1887. In the US, a windmill producing electricity began operation in 1888. By 1908, there were 72 wind power generators from 5 kW to 25 kW. By the 1930s, windmills were mainly used to generate electricity on farms, mostly in the United States, where electrical distribution systems had not yet been installed. In this period, high strength steel was cheap, and windmills were placed atop prefabricated open steel towers. In 1941, the world's first megawatt-size wind turbine was connected to the local electrical distribution system on Grandpa's Knob in Castleton, Vermont, USA. This 1.25 MW wind power generator operated for 1100 hours before a blade failed at a known weak point, which had not been reinforced due to war-time material shortages.

From the mid 1970's through the mid 1980's, the United States government worked with industry to advance the technology and enable large commercial wind turbines to be developed. The large wind power generators that were developed then set several world records for diameter and power output. During this time, building home wind power generators became popular. However, building a home wind power generator was typically beyond the capabilities of the average homeowner. Later, in the 1980s, California provided tax rebates for wind power generation. These rebates funded the first major use of wind power for utility electricity. These machines, gathered in large wind parks such as at Altamont Pass would be considered small and inefficient by modern wind power development standards. In the 1990s, as aesthetics and durability became more important, turbines were placed atop steel or reinforced concrete towers.

As with any technology, wind power has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are: (1) wind energy is free and renewable, (2) there are no dangerous emissions, (3) wind power can be used in remote areas, and (4) wind power can be used with other renewable energy resources, such as solar energy. The disadvantages are: (1) wind turbines must be built where there is plenty of wind, (2) wind speed can fluctuate, or it may not blow at all, (3) wind farms can be an eyesore and may be noisy, (4) wind turbines can be expensive to maintain, and (5) energy storage devices (such as batteries) are sometimes necessary. However, the advantages currently outweigh the disadvantages, especially as the technology for producing wind turbines improves their electrical power generation efficiency. In the future, global wind power will continue to grow, as a viable source of clean, renewable electricity.

We trust this website will be informative for you. Enjoy learning about wind, and its many wind-related subjects.